Series: Unshakable Hope
Sermon: God Gets You
Passage: Hebrews 4:14-16

Main Idea: God gets us because Jesus has gone before us

Open in prayer, asking God to fill your time together.

Play the song You Will Never Fail.

Purpose: Introduce topic and get the group talking.

1. Share a time when you started a new job or endeavor and there was someone who helped “show you the ropes.” What would it have been like if you didn’t have that person to help you?

Purpose: Observe the passage and interact with the text

Read Hebrews 4:14-16.

2. A High Priest is one who represents the people before God. According to this passage, what did Jesus do for us as our High Priest? Because of what Jesus has done, what are we now enabled to do?

3. Max Lucado summarizes this passage by saying:
“Because Jesus is human He understands you. Because Jesus is divine, He can help you.”
What are your thoughts about this quote in relationship to the passage in Hebrews 4?

Purpose: Connect observations in God’s Word with observations in our world today.

4. As this pandemic continues on, how have you seen people’s responses changed? How are people coping now that it seems to drag on?

5. How has this shaped people’s view of God (positive or negative)? What are some examples that you’ve seen?

Purpose: Internalize God’s Word and apply the truth to your personal life.

6. Where have you been surprised with how good your own personal response has been in this season? Where have you been disappointed (shocked, taken by surprise) by your response?

7. Where have you experienced God’s grace in your life? Where do you long to see His grace meet you? Knowing that God has grace and mercy for us in our failings (Hebrews 4:16b), how might you need to extend grace to yourself in this time?

8. Where do you feel the weakest right now? Knowing that Jesus has experienced the exact same things, in every way, how might that change the way you pray?

Purpose: Spend time listening for God’s for direction and guidance as you seek to live out the truths of this passage in your everyday life.

9. Spend time individually opening to God in the areas where you feel the weakest. This is an opportunity to be with God right in the middle of your weakness, to let HIM minister to you. Play the 2 songs listed below as you quiet your soul before God. Get some paper or a journal, and release to God what you’re struggling with.

Play these 2 songs:
Gravity
God, I Look to You

10. Debrief with each other how you experienced your individual prayer time. How did you sense God with you? Did you struggle to connect with Him? Offer encouragement and prayer to each other as needed.

Before you officially begin, allow time for people to catch up and get comfortable with being online.

Open in prayer, asking God to fill your time together.

Play the song You Will Never Fail.

The idea here is simply to give space to open our hearts to God. It doesn’t matter if people sing or not. Please ask group members to mute their audio. We suggest you invite them to close their eyes as well to help focus. Encourage them to simply reflect on the words and on who God is.

To learn how to share your screen with the audio, click HERE.

Purpose: Introduce topic and get the group talking.

1. Share a time when you started a new job or endeavor and there was someone who helped “show you the ropes.” What would it have been like if you didn’t have that person to help you?

Purpose: Observe the passage and interact with the text

Read Hebrews 4:14-16.

2. A High Priest is one who represents the people before God. According to this passage, what did Jesus do for us as our High Priest? Because of what Jesus has done, what are we now enabled to do?

Using themes announced in 2:17–3:12, the author calls for Christian faithfulness based on Jesus’ role as the holy and sympathetic high priest, appointed by God his Father to suffer so that others would receive the gift of eternal salvation.

We are now enabled to:
Hold tightly to Him as our hope
Approach the throne with confidence
Look to God in our time of need
Receive mercy and grace from God

3. Max Lucado summarizes this passage by saying:
“Because Jesus is human He understands you. Because Jesus is divine, He can help you.”
What are your thoughts about this quote in relationship to the passage in Hebrews 4?

Jesus is able to identify with his people (cf. 10:34) because of his human experience and the sufferings he endured while being tempted (2:10–18, esp. vv. 17–18).

Though Jesus was tempted in every respect, that is, in every area of personal life, he (unlike every other human) remained sinless, and thus he is truly the holy high priest (Heb. 7:26–28; cf. 5:2–3). In our temptations, we can be comforted with the truth that nothing that entices us is foreign to Jesus. He too has felt the tug of sin, and yet he never gave in to such temptations. He knows us and walks with us.

Purpose: Connect observations in God’s Word with observations in our world today.

4. As this pandemic continues on, how have you seen people’s responses changed? How are people coping now that it seems to drag on?

Many have gone from hopeful to discouraged. Getting stir crazy, having a hard time being cooped up with family, getting over the fellowship online.

5. How has this shaped people’s view of God (positive or negative)? What are some examples that you’ve seen?
Crisis hotline calls have gone up nearly 200% in most states. Alcohol sales have jumped 55%. On the flip side, google searches for church related things have significantly increased and there have been countless stories of doctors/medical workers turning to the Lord.

Purpose: Internalize God’s Word and apply the truth to your personal life.

6. Where have you been surprised with how good your own personal response has been in this season? Where have you been disappointed (shocked, taken by surprise) by your response?

8. Where do you feel the weakest right now? Knowing that Jesus has experienced the exact same things, in every way, how might that change the way you pray?

Asking for strength, instead of trying to just do things in your own power. Jesus knows exactly what we feel/need because he’s been through it – so we can come to him knowing He understands us.

The encouragement to “draw near” to God’s throne implies that we have the privilege of a personal relationship with God.

Christians may come before God and speak plainly and honestly, without fear that they will incur shame or punishment by doing so. God the Father, with Jesus at his right hand (8:1; 12:2; cf. 1:8), graciously dispenses help from heaven to those who need forgiveness and strength in temptation (see 2:18).

Purpose: Spend time listening for God’s direction and guidance as you seek to live out the truths of this passage in your everyday life.

9. Spend time individually opening to God in the areas where you feel the weakest. This is an opportunity to be with God right in the middle of your weakness, to let HIM minister to you. Play the 2 songs listed below as you quiet your soul before God. Get some paper or a journal, and release to God what you’re struggling with.

Play these 2 songs:
Gravity
God, I Look to You

10. Debrief with each other how you experienced your individual prayer time. How did you sense God with you? Did you struggle to connect with Him? Offer encouragement and prayer to each other as needed.